


i'll wait for you on the other side

by thesepaladins



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: ALL ABOARD THE ANGST TRAIN, Gay Keith, Keith and Pidge are BFFs, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, PINING KEITH, SO SO SAD, Unrequited Love, but i couldnt wait, but not really klance, eh, gender neutral pronouns for pidge, hanahaki disease au, i cried okay, ill write another one then, its for keith's birthday actually, keith and shiro are brothers, klance, whoops, wowow i finished this in a day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2018-12-19 01:44:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11887287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesepaladins/pseuds/thesepaladins
Summary: keith saw that blue petal in his palm.He had been coughing violently for weeks now, and he knew exactly where it’s heading.





	i'll wait for you on the other side

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Carpe Diems and Chrysanthemums](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8880127) by [Gigapoodle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gigapoodle/pseuds/Gigapoodle). 



_ Cough. _

_ Cough. _

_ Cough. _

There laid in his hand was a petal, no doubt a petal of a blue morning glory. The petal was vibrant blue, with hints of purple and white. That sapphire petal somehow was cradled in this palm gently, afraid that it will crumple as soon as he stopped  _ gazing _ at it. The morning glory reminded of the blue of someone’s eyes, the hue of the petal somehow turned out exactly the same as those blue orbs that he’d wish he would stare at them everyday.

* * *

 

He knew exactly what that shade was. It was his favorite color. “ #3366ff,” he whispered to himself, and he fell asleep with the cobalt blues and sky blues drowning him.

He had been coughing violently for weeks now, and he knew  _ exactly _ where it’s heading.

“ _ Just go for the operation, You know what will happen if you don’t .” Shiro put his metal arm on his brother’s shoulder, while the latter was coughing out petal by petal, each and every one as blue as the seven seas. _

_ “No, Shiro. We talked about this. I am never, ever going to forget him, even if it means ending my life in the end. I will never give up on him.” _

_ The older man’s face turned to stone. “ I know, Keith. But just to let you know, I always want the best for you.” _

_ Patting his younger brother’s head, he solemnly left the washroom, leaving the one and only Keith Kogane to hack even more petals, each one more bloody than the rest.  _

But the first petal was the most memorable of all. It was the most blue, somehow by staring at the brilliant blue morning glory mocked him of his dull life, taunting him that his love will never come to him.

* * *

It was in the school library when the tingling in his throat caused him to arch his back and cough. He was with his best friend Pidge, the second person he could trust besides his adoptive brother. The library door opened, and there came in the i-don’t-know-you-but-you-sit-behind-me-in-one-of-my-classes guy. He was in his trademark olive green jacket, one that his brother gave him as a birthday present when he turned seventeen. His hazelnut brown hair swept against his head, and those eyes — they were so blue, Keith could get lost in them. His name, which goes by  _ Lance Charles Mcclain,  _ Keith found out just months ago, was the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard.

Somehow he and this guy had this friendly rivalry, Lance likes to call it — is the only relationship they had in their astronomy class. Keith’s grades were at the top of the class, and that guy just  _ likes _ to one-up him.

Lance waved to Keith when he spotted the mullet-headed boy, and made his way to one of the tables where his best friend, Hunk,  _ was it?  _ was sitting. Both boys started chatting amicably, and the way Lance smiles made his heart do the loop-de-loop. Keith tried to ignore the blue-eyed boy and concentrate what he was doing, but he was interrupted with a violent series of coughs. 

_ Cough cough. Cough cough cough. _

Keith covered his mouth with his hand,  _ of course he was a good boy Shiro taught him to be,  _ and found that he was staring at a petal that came from  _ god knows where.  _ He continued to stare at it incredulously, and something struck him.

“Are you fine, keith?” his best friend enquired, concern and worry lacing their voice.

Keith shoved the petal into his pocket and nodded firmly. “I’m fine, Pidge. Just choked on something.” Pidge gave their best friend a questioning look, but continued to type on their laptop.

 

As Keith’s gaze landed on the boy at one of the tables, he knew what that petal finally meant, and he is in deeeep shit.

* * *

 

Shiro found out a week later.

He had saw numerous petals of blue, sky,navy,cobalt,sapphire. They lined up, like a trail to Keith’s bedroom. He opened the door, and there was the boy, hacking petal by petal. Shiro’s face blanched. “Keith what the heck do you have hanahaki? Why didn't you —” The younger boy started sprouting out more petals, with more blood,  _ blood blood _ . “Shit Keith WHO?” Shiro demanded to his brother, eyes full of agony and worry. Tears threatened to spill.

Keith didn't say anything. 

“WHO?” shiro demanded, shaking his younger brother.

Keith looked up to shiro, violet irises shining with tears of pain and sorrow, and in between coughs, answered Shiro’s question.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Lance.”

* * *

 

Shiro had been telling Keith to get the operation done, but Keith refused.

Keith isn't one to disobey his adoptive brother, but he stood his ground for months, despite his life coming to an end. 

It’s the fifth month that Keith decided to tell Pidge what was going on, so that they could spend his last month together, like a last farewell, i guess. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


But death seemed more enthusiastic to reach Keith.

  
  
  
  
  
  


It was one day Keith begged Pidge to go out together as best buds for life, since Keith’s is ending soon. Pidge finally relented, it’s like  _ not everyday your emo lord bff decides to have lunch with you. _

 

They spent the whole day together, watching their favorite movies and discussing about cryptids, with the all-time-favorite mothman. They had a blast that day, and they headed to his house to have dinner and video games all night. 

 

Until Keith started getting into a fit of coughs. He wanted to tell Pidge after dinner, but hey, the universe had other plans for him. He didn't stop the petals from falling anymore, with each cough comes more and more petals, gradually turning them blue to crimson red.

 

Keith  _ knew,  _ that  _ this is where my journey ends _ , something that his biological father, Thace said on his deathbed and made him a parentless child on that day.

 

Keith arched his back and coughed even harder, and Pidge scrambled to help him.    
“See keith i told you to go see a doctor with those coughs of yours— KEITH  _ WHAT THE HELL YOU HAVE HANAHAKI _ —”

Keith hacked out more of those  _ damned  _ blue petals. 

 

“OH MY GOD KEITH DON’T DIE ON ME OH MY GOD DON’T” Pidge cradled keith’s head in her hands, while trying to contact the hospital.

 

And keith’s world engulfed him into utter darkness.

* * *

 

Keith woke up in the hospital, laying in a hospital bed, his arm connected to a drip. He realized, that that was  _ the end. _ He looked around and saw Shiro and Pidge beside him.

 

Shiro was the first to talk. “Keith, i know you didn't want the operation, so i stopped the doctors from taking you, and i really want to tell you, that you were the best thing that had ever happened to me, and I love you little brother. I couldn’t ask for a better one.”

 

Pidge, with tears falling down their face, said, “I know who it is already, Keith. But whatever you do, always know that I’ll support you all the way, no matter what. You are truly my best bud, and will always will be. See you on the other side, bro.”

 

Keith then realized, that this was their farewell wishes to him, and he couldn’t leave without one. “Guys, you were the best people in my life, I really do love all of you and I thank you for respecting my decision.”  _ cough  _ “just… tell Lance that I love him… so much, and i’m sorry that i had to keep this from him…  _ please. _ ”  _ cough cough. Blood. “ _ I’ll wait for him… on the other..side…..” 

 

Keith’s eyes fluttered closed, hand dropping from Pidge’s grasp, and the heartbeat monitor went flat. 

 

But the both of them didn’t weep. They knew, behind keith’s lifeless but gentle smile tugged on his lips when he exhaled his last breath , was that keith is in paradise, waiting for Lance on the other side.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading this!!!!  
> fyi: blue morning glories mean love in vain there's that.
> 
>  
> 
> inspired by carpe diems and chrysanthemums by gigapoodle!  
> come yell klance w me @shutyaquiznak on ig!!!!!!!!


End file.
